Signs Your Body is TOO ACIDIC...AND...the Health Consequences...

Knowing and monitoring your urine pH (potential hydrogen) is vital to good health. A pH level that is below the healthy range means your body is not doing a good job of ridding your system of acid, therefore, creating the perfect breeding ground for health-depleting microorganisms to flourish like viruses, bacteria, yeast, fungus’ and, yes, cancer cells.
The following are common symptoms that indicate your body is too acidic:

Inability to lose excess weight – regardless of dieting or exercise. This occurs because excess waste product in the form of acid stay stored within the body. It is not being eliminated because the organs of detoxification/elimination – colon, kidneys, lymphatics and skin – are not able to do their job of eliminating toxins. Many of my fibromyalgia clients don’t realize until we consult that the excess acid is being pushed back into the fat tissues and causes the “invisible” pain they experience. In addition, the acidic pH retards weight loss because the acidity acts like a magnet and keeps toxins in fat cells.
An acidic body will compensate by pulling minerals from your tissues and other organs. One of these minerals is calcium that is necessary for strength and bone health. A low urine pH causes weak bones as their supply of calcium is depleted; fractures occur easily, the reason patients with osteoporosis and osteopenia are asked to avoid acidic foods that deplete calcium (especially beef, caffeine and soft drinks).
Your bones store calcium, the same as your teeth. A study in the Int’l Journal of Chemical Engineering showed low pH in the mouth caused demineralization of tooth enamel and cause mouth bacteria to escalate production of lactic acid that results in cavities. Also, an acidic mouth may cause sensitivity to foods and drink temperatures as well as gum disorders/diseases like recession that leads to periodontitis and gingivitis.

An acid body allows hordes of microorganism to invade and multiply therefore triggering the immune responses and creating chronic fatigue – inhibiting your body’s ability to absorb essential nutrients. Poor nutrient absorption affects the body’s abilities to produce hormones and enzymes that produce energy.

Your skin is the largest organ of absorption AND elimination AND one of the detoxifying organs. When the body is too acidic it becomes prone for bacteria and toxin overload. When this occurs it is usually a result of the liver not being able to eliminate the acidic toxic substances and the skin then compensates by flushing some of them out. When detoxification in this form occurs, it manifests as acne, clogged pores, allergies, rashes and eczema.

Excessive mucus production is the body’s natural defense mechanism against acid buildup – its attempting to flush the body through nasal passages. If you are a victim of frequent mucus build-up, your body is overloaded with acid. Chronic mucus buildup, and the irritation it creates, often results in excessive coughing, clearing of throat, wheezing, sinus infections, breathing problems, chest pain and sinus headaches.

An acidic body causes the muscles to constrict – further obstructing the oxygen-carrying blood capillaries running through the muscles and, therefore, causes strain and oxygen deprivation. In addition, it obstructs absorption of nutrients and vitamins from the blood that are necessary for proper function. When this occurs, the deprived muscles over-exert themselves to continue function, resulting in soreness and pain. If you experience muscle pain along with fatigue, without other natural causes like over-exertion, it’s a clear sign your body is overly acidic.

Inability to get restorative sleep can also result from a low urine pH. If your body is needing sleep yet you struggle to get to, or stay, asleep you should check your pH. If your body is acidic and leaching calcium from your bones to neutralize it, it can lead to sleeplessness or un-restorative sleep.

Getting Your Body Alkaline…

Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate – important to keep acids and all fluids moving and aid in their elimination via the digestive tract. Any efforts to achieve wellness or overcome an illness will fail if your body is not receiving adequate hydration. The rule of thumb is to drink half your weight in ounces (minimum daily). Therefore, if you weigh 150 lbs. you need a minimum of 75 ounces. Any drink that does not have forms of sugar or caffeine counts as water (Stevia and Lakanto can be used unlimited). I get tired of plain water so I make herbal teas (hot and iced) as well as fruit-infused waters.

Begin your day with Dr. Gloria’s Hot Lemonade – Yes, lemon is an acidic fruit but the difference is it’s only acidic outside the body; when inside it transforms to alkaline and raises your urine pH level. For an educational flier on the health benefits of Hot Lemonade first thing in the morning, Download Nature's Lemonade

Limit caffeine consumption – organic coffee is actually healthy but limit it to no more than two cups daily. If you love coffee, like I do, use organic water-processed decaf to satisfy that craving…and…it won’t disturb your sleep or cause that caffeine rush. For a brochure on conditions related to an acidic body Download TooAcidicRemedies.

AVOID – alcohol, soft drinks, processed meats, processed foods and artificial sugars.

Supplement your diet with calcium and magnesium – low pH starves your body of these minerals by leaching them out of your bones and tissues – see list of green leafy vegetables below, they are rich in calcium and magnesium as are organic dairy products. Mackerel and salmon are rich sources of calcium and magnesium, just watch the source for a healthy terrain in which they reside and AVOID any farm-raised fish.

Consume plenty of green leafy vegetables and avoid the nightshades known to accelerate inflammation. The following are the most alkaline: Kale, broccoli, cucumber, spinach, arugula, collards, chard, lettuce, zucchini, celery and green asparagus (white asparagus is acid-producing). Better yet, juice the alkalizing veggies of your choice into a healthy, green juice and drink it with breakfast.

Be sure to eat organic – genetically-modified food typically contains chemicals and other health-depleting additives.

NOTE: Be sure to buy those little pH urine testing strips and check your urine once a week first void of the morning and make a note of it for reference. The goal should be to have a consistent pH of about 7.3 – 7.5.

The Gluten-Thyroid Connection

After suffering from Thyroid problems for 30 years I finally went Gluten Free and within two weeks my hair has stopped falling out and I am losing weight without even trying. If you have these issues please read this article.

This article is part of a special report on Thyroid Disorders. To see the other articles in this series, click here.

In the first article in this series, I showed that hypothyroidism is an autoimmune disease in 90% of cases. In this article we’re going to discuss the connection between autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) and gluten intolerance.

Several studies show a strong link between AITD (both Hashimoto’s and Graves’) and gluten intolerance. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] The link is so well-established that researchers suggest all people with AITD be screened for gluten intolerance, and vice versa.

What explains the connection? It’s a case of mistaken identity. The molecular structure of gliadin, the protein portion of gluten, closely resembles that of the thyroid gland. When gliadin breaches the protective barrier of the gut, and enters the bloodstream, the immune system tags it for destruction. These antibodies to gliadin also cause the body to attack thyroid tissue. This means if you have AITD and you eat foods containing gluten, your immune system will attack your thyroid.

Even worse, the immune response to gluten can last up to 6 months each time you eat it. This explains why it is critical to eliminate gluten completely from your diet if you have AITD. There’s no “80/20” rule when it comes to gluten. Being “mostly” gluten-free isn’t going to cut it. If you’re gluten intolerant, you have to be 100% gluten-free to prevent immune destruction of your thyroid.

So how do you find out if you’re gluten intolerant? Unfortunately, standard lab tests aren’t very accurate. They test for antibodies to gluten in the bloodstream. But antibodies in the blood will only be found in cases where the gut has become so permeable that gluten can pass through. This is a relatively advanced stage of disease. Blood tests will miss the many milder cases of gluten intolerance that haven’t yet progressed to that stage.

Stool analysis is far more sensitive, because it detects antibodies produced in the digestive tract that aren’t yet escaping into the bloodstream. Using this method at Entero Lab, Dr. Kenneth Fine, a pioneer in the field, has found that up to 35% of Americans are gluten intolerant.

In addition to the stool analysis, Dr. Fine’s lab uses a cheek swab to test for the genes connected with gluten intolerance and celiac disease. People with HLA DQ genes are more likely than the general population to have autoimmune disease, celiac disease and gluten intolerance. Dr. Fine’s research shows that more than 80% of Americans have one of these gene types.

When I first read Dr. Fine’s research, I was astounded by the implications. It suggests that 1 in 3 Americans are gluten intolerant, and that 8 in 10 are genetically predisposed to gluten intolerance. This is nothing short of a public health catastrophe in a nation where the #1 source of calories is refined flour. But while most are at least aware of the dangers of sugar, trans-fat and other unhealthy foods, fewer than 1 in 8 people with celiac disease are aware of their condition. I would guess that an even lower proportion of people are aware they are gluten intolerant.

One reason gluten intolerance goes undetected in so many cases is that both doctors and patients mistakenly believe it only causes digestive problems. But gluten intolerance can also present with inflammation in the joints, skin, respiratory tract and brain – without any obvious gut symptoms.

As much improved as Dr. Fine’s methods are, they aren’t perfect. In some patients with autoimmune disease, their immune system is so worn out they can no longer produce many antibodies.
Hashmioto’s, the most common autoimmune thyroid condition, is primarily a Th1 dominant condition. I’ll explain what this means in further detail in a future article. For now, what you need to understand is that in Th1-dominant conditions, the Th2 system is suppressed. The Th2 system is the part of the immune system responsible for producing antibodies. When the Th2 system is severely depressed, the body’s ability to produce antibodies is impaired. The levels may be so low that they won’t show up on a test. So, even if you have gluten intolerance, your test for gluten antibodies may be falsely negative if you have Th1-dominant Hashimoto’s.

This is why I recommend that you avoid gluten if you have AITD, regardless of whether tests show an active antibody response. This is especially true if you have one of the genes (HLA DQ1,2, or 3) that predisposes you to developing gluten intolerance. In my opinion continuing to eat gluten when you have a confirmed autoimmune condition simply isn’t worth risking the immune destruction it could cause.

In fact, the more I learn about gluten and its effects on the body, the more I think we’d all probably be better off not eating it. Mark Sisson has written extensively about the dangers of gluten and gluten-containing grains, so head over there and have a look if this is new to you. The short version: foods that contain gluten (both whole grains and flours) contain substances that inhibit nutrient absorption, damage our intestinal lining, and – as I’ve described in this article – activate a potentially destructive autoimmune response. What’s more, there are no nutrients in gluten-containing foods that you can’t get more easily and efficiently from foods that don’t contain gluten.

The good news is that if you have AITD and are gluten intolerant removing gluten completely from your diet will dramatically improve your health. It’s not easy, but it’s worth it.
by: Chris Kresser

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